How did the armchair anthropology and the off the veranda approaches differ as methods to study culture? What can be learned about a culture by experiencing it in person that cannot be learned from reading about it?

Respond to the discussion questions from Chapter 2 of Perspectives:

1) How did the armchair anthropology and the off the veranda approaches differ as methods to study culture? What can be learned about a culture by experiencing it in person that cannot be learned from reading about it?

2) Why is the concept of culture difficult to define? What do you think are the most important elements of culture?

3) Why is it difficult to separate the “social” from the “cultural”? Do you think this is an important distinction?

4) In the twenty-first century, people have much greater contact with members of other cultures than they did in the past. Which topics or concerns should be priorities for future studies of culture?

Respond to the discussion questions from Chapter 3 of Perspectives:

1) What is unique about ethnographic fieldwork and how did it emerge as a key strategy in anthropology?

2) How do traditional approaches to ethnographic fieldwork contrast with contemporary approaches?

3) What are some of the contemporary ethnographic fieldwork techniques and perspectives and why are they important to anthropology?

4What are some of the ethical considerations in doing anthropological fieldwork and why are they important?

How do anthropologists transform their fieldwork data into a story that communicates meaning? How are reflexivity and polyvocality changing the way anthropologists communicate their work?

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